Black Bird
by Kips34
Summary: Emily was always so strong, so confident, but something had changed that. Something, or someone had doused the bright light in her eyes, and replaced it with fear and pain. When Derek Morgan and the rest of the BAU team discover the truth, how will they react? And will they be able to help her when Hunter returns? WARNING: ABUSE, RAPE, SELF-HARM! Possible Demily plots later on...
1. Chapter 1 A Night to Forget

BLACK BIRD:

Chapter 1: A Night to Forget

She sat on Morgan's doorstep, crying silently. It was three in the morning and she just didn't know where else to go, but now that she was here, she couldn't bring herself to actually knock on the door. It was snowing again, and in her hurry to escape the apartment she hadn't grabbed a jacket. She was shivering violently, which just made her cry harder.

 _What the hell Emily? Pull yourself together. You are blubbering like a five-year-old. Get a grip._

She raised her hand to wipe away her fresh tears, but her wrist screamed in agony with the contact.

 ** _4 hours earlier…_**

 _He had been waiting for her when she got home. Just sitting there in the dark, waiting for her. When she had pulled up and seen that the lights were off, she had allowed herself to hope that he had finally left. But he was still there, like every night for months now, empty beer bottles littered around him, his eyes lit with fury._

 _"_ _Where were you?" He was angry. And she was instantly terrified._

 _"_ _I had to work late," she pleaded with him, a half-truth, backing away from him, towards the door. Maybe she should just leave, just go now before this turned into a real fight._

 _"_ _Liar!" He spits the word at her as he rose from the couch, knocking glass bottles to the ground around him._

 _"_ _It's not a lie. Please." Her words were small, like a frightened animal. She didn't even know what she was pleading for._

 _"_ _You left the office almost three hours ago!" He was completely livid now, crossing the room in three strides. She wrenched the front door open, trying to flee, but grabbed her arm and yanked her back inside as he slammed it back closed and locked it, placing his hands firmly against the door on either side of her body, caging her in._

 _"_ _How did you – "Emily never got to finish her question, though she suspected she already knew the answer. Either he had been watching her, or he had somehow been tracking her phone's location again. She didn't really care either way. She was just afraid that if he had actually followed her himself, then he might have seen her with Morgan and Rossi at the bar. He was scary when he was angry, but he was downright horrifying when he was jealous._

 _"_ _I saw you," he said, confirming her fears. "I got your message that you were coming home today. I had missed you while you were away on that case and wanted to surprise you, so I came to the office to bring you flowers and drive you home. Instead, I see you leaving with Derek Morgan! DEREK MORGAN!"_

 _She averted her eyes, desperately wanting to get as far away from him as possible, but completely unable to move. He grabbed her chin roughly and pulled her face up so she was staring into his eyes. The silence dragged on as he waited for some kind of response from her, getting angrier with each passing second. "It's not what you think…" she was finally able to get the words out, though they were barely audible._

 _"_ _Not what I think?!" He roared. He released her chin, only to grab ahold of her shoulder and shove her roughly to the ground. She caught her fall with her left hand, feeling and hearing the crack in her wrist, before her side crashed into the ground. *_

 **Present...**

She stared down at her wrist now, trying not to remember how it had gotten so swollen. It was turning a nasty patchwork of blues and purples now, clearly broken.

It wasn't the first time he had broken her bones, and something inside her said no matter what she said or did, it wouldn't be the last time, but her wrist was going to be hard to hide from the others at work. But then again, six months ago she thought bruises were going to be a problem, and it turns out make-up can hide just about anything. No one on the team suspected anything was wrong, and as much as she wanted, no needed, their help, she preferred it this way. They couldn't know. She couldn't bear the thought of them seeing her like this, battered and broken. She hated the thought of them looking at her with pity in their eyes, looking at her like she was damaged. But she would have endured that if it meant getting away from him for good. So why didn't she just tell them?

 _He'll kill them all, one by one. How many times has he said as much? You know what he'll do to them. He would do to JJ all the horrible things he did to her every night. He would torture her friends and then kill them all. He won't spare Jack, or Henry. If I say anything, I might as well be killing them myself…_

No, she couldn't tell them.

 _Then what are you doing on Morgan's stoop in the middle of night?_

She had no idea how to answer that. She began crying harder, her breathing ragged as she pulled at her aching ribs. At least a few of those were broken too she was sure. And her head was throbbing with what she knew was a serious concussion. Her lips were beginning to swell and she felt blood in her hair. She hadn't had a chance to look at herself yet, but she knew there was no way she was going to be able to hide these injuries. Not this time.

 ** _4 hours earlier…_**

 _Hunter please, let me explain," she begged him as she tried to move away. Her hip and wrist had both taken quite a hit when she fell and it was painful to crawl, but she had to create some space between them, and quickly._

 _"_ _Why the hell should I do that?!" He was still screaming at her, stalking her across the floor as she moved. "Have you been sleeping with him?!" Hunter suddenly demanded as he came to stand over her in the corner._

 _She could only assume that the "him" he was referring to was Morgan, but she was so confused. Why would he think she had cheated on him? What was going on? She was at a loss for words._

 _"_ _Well, have you?!" He demanded again, but he didn't wait for her to answer. His fists flew, connecting with her face, her chest, her stomach, her face again. She curled up on the floor, trying to shield herself from the blows, but they kept coming._

 _"_ _Please," she gasped. She could barely breathe and forming the simple pleading word was incredibly painful, but she had to do something, had to stop this before it went any further. She just didn't know how to get through to him. "Please stop."_

 _"_ _Why should I?! Three hours! Three hours with him, instead of me! What do you expect me to think you were doing with him FOR THREE HOURS?! Playing scrabble? God Emily, how could you betray me like this?!" She let him rant. The longer he spoke, the longer she would have to think, to figure a way out of this, and the longer reprieve she would have between the punishing blows._

 _That's when she realized what must have happened. He didn't follow her to the bar. There was no way he could have followed her there and had time to go through that much beer. He didn't see Rossi join them. He wasn't angry because she had come home late or because she had gone out with her male coworkers. He actually believed she had gone home with Morgan, had slept with him. The truth could save her, if she could just make him believe it._

 _"_ _Baby," she forced her voice into a soft coo, trying to soften him some, "Baby, please listen to me."_

 _His hands, which had found their way to her throat, loosened as he heard her, sliding to her shoulders. His grip was still strong, but he wasn't hitting her, and she could breathe a little easier now. "Tell me why…Why would you do this to me?" He was clearly still angry, but she also sensed he was genuinely hurt by what he thought she had done._

 _"_ _Shhh," she soothed him, forcing her hand not to shake as she let it fall softly on his arm. She needed him calm, receptive. "Baby, I didn't cheat on you. I would never cheat on you." She saw his eyes turning dark again, and she was afraid she was about to lose any chance of getting through to him so she continued quickly, "I won't lie to you, I left the office with Agent Morgan. You know that." She was careful to refer to him as Agent Morgan and not Derek. Maybe if she distanced herself from her friend in this small way it would help him to believe her. "The case we were working was really hard baby. Someone was killing little girls, just kids. I needed some time to recover after that. I didn't want you to see me so upset," she mixed lies and truth trying to get him to see that everything was ok, even though it absolutely was not._

 _The case really had hit her hard, and she knew that that rang true, but really she hadn't been thinking about Hunter at all when they got home. She had just desperately needed a drink, and Morgan and Rossi had offered to buy a couple of rounds. She had had a really good time, but now she wished she had turned down their offer._

 _"_ _Morgan drove me to a bar down the street from the office," she winced when she saw his face change at the word bar. He hated when she drank, even if it was just one glass of wine. She should have lied and said it was a café. Too late now. "I wasn't drinking I promise baby," she lied through her teeth, "One of our bosses, Agent Rossi, do you remember him? He met us there and we all had a bite to eat. We all needed to take our minds off of the case before we went home. I swear baby, I didn't leave that bar until I got in the car to drive home. And my boss was there the whole time. Along with a couple dozen other patrons from the bar." It was working. Hunter's grip on her shoulders loosened, though he didn't release her or let her sit up._

 _"_ _You really didn't cheat on me?" He didn't really sound like he believed her, but the fact that he was even entertaining the idea meant she might be able to salvage this, she might be ok._

 _"_ _No baby," she responding, smiling hesitantly, "I would never do that to you."_

 _His hands became soft on her shoulders, and one slid up to hold her face tenderly. His eyes were suddenly calm. Oh thank Gad, she thought, he believes me. But the moment only lasted for a few seconds before his eyes grew hard again and the hand on her cheek slid behind her head and grabbed ahold of her hair forcefully. "Then prove it." The words were like a razor blade to her heart._

 _No! Not again, please not again…_

 _"_ _How?" she whispered, fearing she already knew the answer._

 _He leaned in to kiss her, and not having time to think it through, she flinched away from him, showing her fear. That was a big mistake and she knew it…_

 _"_ _You. Are. Mine." He spat each word at her, his grip on her hair painfully pulling her head back. She was still on the ground, half sitting up now, trapped in a corner, sandwiched between him and the cold walls. This was going to be really bad. She had to remind herself to breathe as his free hand began to roam her body, sliding from her shoulder all the way to her hip, squeezing her breast along the way. "And I WILL take what is mine."_

 _She knew better than to fight him now. She was too hurt to put up much of a fight anyway, and if history with Hunter had taught her anything, it was that when he decided he wanted something, there was nothing that could get in his way, even if it meant killing her in the process. She hated the helpless feeling that spread through her as he slid his hand under her shirt, pushing it up as he went. He found her breasts again and fondled them, releasing his death grip on her hair and sliding his other hand to her chest._

 _As soon as the hold on her head was released, she turned away from him, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing. Just pretend you're somewhere else. Pretend it isn't happening._

 _But it_ was _happening. His hands slipped behind her back, undoing her bra, leaving her chest completely exposed, as he leaned down to kiss her breasts. His hands found their way back down to her hips as he continued to tease her nipples with his tongue. He pulled her hips gently toward him, straddling her on the floor._

 _At least he doesn't seem angry anymore. He isn't being aggressive. It's ok, everything is going to be ok._

 _She was lying to herself, but she didn't care. She needed to stay calm, and still. If she fought back…No, she knew what could happen if she refused him when he was like this. She would not go through that again._

 _She closed her eyes tight, not bothering to fight the tears that were already streaming down her face, and turned her head away from him. She remained still, that is until his hands undid her pants and began pulling them down around her thighs. Then she reacted. She knew what was coming and no amount of preparation would lend her the strength to let that happen again. Rationally she knew she couldn't stop it and fighting would only ensure she got hurt even worse, but instinct took over and she couldn't just let it happen._

 _"_ _Please don't," she pleaded, her voice barely rising above a whisper, yet still urgent, "Please Hunter no…" She tried pushing him off of her, but every inch of her body was searing in pain and she couldn't muster the strength to physically move him._

 _He laughed wickedly at her feeble attempts, "Oh baby, don't be like that," he responded huskily, his left hand gripping both her wrists and trapping them against the floor above her head. Her broken wrist screamed with the movement and she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her. "If you stop fighting this, you might actually have some fun."_

 _"_ _No no no…" she continued uselessly, tears still running down her cheeks._

 _Hunter ignored her pleas, undoing his own belt as soon as her pants were pulled down. Still holding her wrists above her head, leaving her defenseless, he made no further preparations before slamming into her, hard and fast, a moan of pleasure escaping his lips at the same time a yelp of pain passed hers._

 **Present…**

Desperately trying to forget the horrors of the night, Emily curled into a tight ball on the front steps, and leaned her head against the door. She was miserably cold and pain radiated through her entire body, but the emotional pain was far worse, and that was what stayed her hand. She simply could not answer the questions she knew Derek would ask if he saw her here right now. And he would make her go to a hospital. She simply could not endure an examination right now…Oh God, and a rape kit! No, that was not happening. Shivering and crying, she closed her eyes and willed all of it to go away, praying she would wake up and find the last six months had been a horrible nightmare…


	2. Chapter 2 Beautiful Beginnings

Chapter 2: A Beautiful Beginning

Derek woke in the morning to soft whines from the foot of his bed. Clooney was hungry and desperately wanted his owner to get out of bed and feed him. Derek couldn't help but smile. His dog was such a sweetheart and he loved him so much. It was still dark out, just after five in the morning, and he could have slept in a while longer, but he couldn't help wanting to make Clooney happy.

Rolling out of bed, he sat up and ruffled the pit bull's ears, earning a tail wagging. He rose from the bed, stretching his arms above his head and yawning loudly, before wandering downstairs to make breakfast.

He had to be at work by eight, but he thought he would take Clooney for a run before he started getting ready. They both loved starting their mornings that way and after the last long case, he really wanted to take his dog out and enjoy some normalcy before diving back into the craziness. Yes, a run was definitely a good idea.

He blended his protein smoothie and poured Clooney a bowl of dog food and fresh water, and then went in search of the leash. It wasn't in its usual place beside the front door, and for a moment Derek was worried he might have lost it. Then he remembered he had put it in a drawer in the kitchen so Clooney wouldn't try to play with it while he was out of town.

After retrieving the leash, and finishing off the last of his smoothie, Derek headed towards the front door, where he sat down and put on his sneakers.

"Come on boy," he teased Clooney, "Don't you want to go for a run?"

Everything felt normal. And he was enjoying the return to the familiar routine. Neither he, nor Clooney, had any suspicions that today would be anything but average. He would go running, get ready for work, maybe call his sisters before leaving for the office. He would catch up on the pile of case file undoubtedly on his desk right now and hope not to get a new case for a couple of days. He would go to dinner with JJ or Reid, and talk about absolutely nothing, and laugh until his sides hurt.

But that was not what the day had in store for him, and it wasn't until Derek pulled open his front door that he realized just how wrong he was…

 **6 MONTHS EARLIER…**

 _Emily was exhausted when she left her apartment that morning. It had been case after case after case for months with almost no time to recover and she was run pretty ragged. She desperately needed a real cup of coffee, something stronger than the stale, burnt sludge at the BAU. So she decided to leave her place a few minutes early that morning and grab herself something from the café down the street._

 _She walked inside, her mind still reeling from the last case, her eyes glazed over, unfocused. She approached the counter and ordered, going to wait by the window, staring off into space._

 _"_ _Emily," the barista called for the fourth time, "Earth to Emily?" She finally looked up and cracked a small smile at the expression on the barista's face. She thought her name was Claire, but wasn't sure. "Here you go hun, one large mocha double shot with cinnamon."_

 _Emily grabbed the cup, quietly thanked Claire, and took a long drink before stepping away from the counter. The hot coffee felt good running down her throat and she knew the caffeine would be exactly what she needed to make it through the day._

 _But, as she turned around, headed for the door to the café, Emily ran straight into another customer, efficiently spilling both of their drinks, causing him to drop his croissant, and ruining his tie. Shit!_

 _They both started mumbling apologies as they ducked down to clean up the mess. Everyone in the café was staring at them, so everyone saw when they smacked heads. It was truly comical, like something out of an afternoon soap opera, and they both were laughing by the time they recovered their drinks and stood._

 _"_ _God I am so sorry," Emily began again, "I wasn't watching where I was going and – "_

 _"_ _No no no," he interrupted, "It's my fault. I practically jumped in front of you. I'm sorry"_

 _They stood awkwardly for a moment, just looking at each other, neither sure what the right thing was to say or do at that moment. That was when Emily noticed the mystery man's tie was absolutely ruined._

 _"_ _Oh no, your tie…"_

 _"_ _It's fine really," he assured her._

 _"_ _At least let me buy you another coffee?" she asked genuinely. After all, she needed a new one too, and it was the least she could do after pouring scalding hot coffee all over him and probably making him late to work. And ruining a very handsome tie!_

 _"_ _No way," he responded smiling, "_ I _am buying_ you _a coffee." When she looked confused, he continued. "If I am going to be late to work, and have to get a new tie, the very least you can do is allow me to enjoy coffee and pastries with a beautiful young woman for my trouble."_

 _She blushed hugely at this, and nodded silently. "Um, I'm Emily by the way."_

 _"_ _Hunter," he responded, smiling as he approached the counter._

 ** _PRESENT…_**

But that was not what the day had in store for him, and it wasn't until Derek pulled open his front door that he realized just how wrong he was…

At first, he couldn't make sense of what he saw. A woman asleep, or maybe unconscious, on his doorstep, at six in the morning? She was curled up in the corner of the front steps, her head resting against the wall. Hair covering her face, dark brown. Her skin was almost blue from the cold, and darker blue in patches. Bruises?

And there was blood. Oh God, there was so much blood… On her arms, her legs, her feet, soaking through her torn dress, pooling around her limp form. It was everywhere…

Derek assessed all of this in a single moment of shock before spurring into action. Clooney was barking loudly, following him onto the stoop as he approached her.

His hands found her throat and softly pressed. She had a pulse. Sluggish, irregular, and not strong at all, but her heart was definitely still beating. Thank God.

He whipped out his cell phone and called 911, while at the same time pulling off his jogging jacket and pressing it firmly to the largest visible cut, trying to stop the bleeding.

"911…What is your emergency?" the calm female voice on the other end of the phone asked him.

"Um…Oh God, she's bleeding. She's hurt real bad. I need an ambulance," he answered, without anywhere near the same level of calm.

"Sir," the voice was back, "Can you tell me where you are?" He gave her his address. His home address. This was not something that was ever supposed to happen at his home. "Good, thank you. Sir, the medics are on their way. I have also alerted the police and they will be there soon." Good. Good, the police needed to be here. Or the FBI? Should I call Hotch? "Sir, can you tell me your name?"

"Derek," he answered, trying to think clearly, "Agent Derek Morgan, FBI."

His answer seemed to surprise the woman on the phone, but she did a good job of covering it. "Alright Agent. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I…I don't know. I was just leaving to take my dog for a run, and she was just here. She was on my front porch. And there's so much blood. And she's so cold. I…I don't know how she got here." He was rambling. He knew that. But he couldn't take his eyes off of the poor woman's torn thighs. Stab wounds? Or just deep cuts? Was that glass? And oh God, there was so much bruising…What the hell happened to her? And why had she decided on his doorstep? Why hadn't she gone to a hospital? Or did someone drop her off here? What the hell was going on?

"Ok Agent. I need you to stay calm, and do everything you can to keep her stable until the medics arrive. Can you tell me who she is?"

"Um…I, I'm not, I don't," he didn't know how to answer. He hadn't even looked at her face, still buried in her bloodied, matted hair. He couldn't look away from all the blood. But the woman on the phone was right, they needed to know. So, he looked up, and softly brushed her hair aside, revealing a bruised and battered face. There was more blood, and her eyes were closed tight, possibly swollen shut. Nonetheless, he would know that face anywhere, he would know her anywhere. And as the reality set in, he began to panic. No no no no no, NOT HER! THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO HER!

"Sir, can you hear me? Are you still there?" the voice broke through his sudden panic, bringing him back to reality, "Do you know who she is Agent?"

"Emily, Agent Emily Prentiss, FBI," he croaked almost inaudibly, "my partner…"


	3. Chapter 3 Coffee and Questions

Chapter 3 – Coffee and Questions

No no no no no, NOT HER! THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO HER!

"Sir, can you hear me? Are you still there?" the voice broke through his sudden panic, bringing him back to reality, "Do you know who she is Agent?"

"Emily, Agent Emily Prentiss, FBI," he croaked almost inaudibly, "my partner…"

 ** _6 MONTHS EARLIER…_**

 _He ordered for both of them, not even having to ask what she wanted._

 _"_ _How did you know?" she asked. Had he been following her or something? She immediately started thinking the worst of this poor man and mentally chastised herself when he replied with a chuckle._

 _"_ _I worked in a little café like this one when I was in college," he sounded so normal, so confident, and so sweet. She immediately felt guilty for thinking badly of him. "I know how to read an order from the notes on the cup, so I just got the same thing you had before." He smiled down at her, but noticed what must have been a guilty look in her eyes, "I hope that's ok?"_

 _"_ _Oh, of course Hunter," she assured him. Gosh, what was wrong with her? First she runs into the poor guy. Then when he does something nice, and totally innocent, in return, she makes him feel bad. She felt like such an idiot in that moment._

 _"_ _Then why do you look so upset?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious._

 _"_ _It's nothing," she replied automatically, bringing a half-smile back to her face. After all, it was nothing right? Her job was just making her paranoid, but that was understandable. Nothing wrong. And nothing to feel guilty for. She pushed aside those thoughts and smiled reassuringly at him._

 _He was about to press the issue because there was obviously something bothering her and he didn't want her to be upset, but just as he opened his mouth to do so, he was interrupted by the barista._

 _"_ _Order for Hunter," she called, and Hunter got up to retrieve their coffees, and what appeared to be muffins. Emily's mood was instantly lifted at the sight of the big blueberry muffins, her favorite. How had he known? Lucky guess maybe? Then she noticed that he had two of them._

 _"_ _I hope you like blueberry?" Hunter asked as he returned to the table, "They're my favorite. Always have been. And honestly, I don't really know much of what else is good here." He rambled nervously. She thought it was kind of cute, and couldn't help biting her lip as she blushed slightly._

 _"_ _Blueberry is my favorite too," she replied with a small laugh before all but snatching the muffin and coffee out of his hands._

 _"_ _What do you know, we have that in common…" his words were laced with a huge smile, "I hope we might do this again sometime? See what else we have in common?"_

 _Really? Ten minutes ago she had spilt scalding hot coffee all over him, and now he was asking her out? Was that weird? Could she really be that lucky? "I would love that," she replied honestly. He seemed sweet, and despite all of the stress of the past few weeks at work, she was smiling and laughing. "And maybe next time I won't spill any hot beverages on you…"_

 _He liked her light, teasing demeanor. It made him smile. She was definitely someone he wanted to get to know better. "I thoroughly look forward to it." And with that, he got up, walking toward the door of the café._

 _"_ _Wait," she called, "How do I get in contact with you?"_

 _"_ _Look down Emily," was his answer as he turned and pushed the door open. She was confused, but when she looked down at the table, she laughed quietly. The napkin under her coffee had a phone number scrawled on it, and above the numbers read 'Hunter (aka Hot Stuff) … Call me…'_

 _She folded the napkin and put it in her pocket, giggling like a teenage girl with her first crush. Hunter was unbearable corny, but so cute. She was definitely going to call him after work. And with that thought, she left the café and headed to the BAU, all smiles._

 **Present…**

Derek was in a state of absolute shock. An ambulance arrived, sirens blaring, lights flashing. Medics ran up the steps, yelling, checking her wounds. They moved her to the back of the ambulance as police began arriving on scene. Neighbors stood on their doorsteps, awoken by the commotion, watching curiously.

And Derek just stood there. He was a statue on his own front porch, his hands drenched in her blood. Emily's blood. He couldn't think. He couldn't move.

And then he heard it, the voice that cut through all of it, the voice that brought him back to reality. Her voice.

Emily was still unconscious as best they could tell, but she began to stir as the medics loaded her in the ambulance, calling out in her nightmare state. "No, no Hunter don't…" It was barely a whimper, but it reached him, even above all of the sirens, and shouting, and questions. That sound was all that mattered. She was all that mattered.

"Emily," he breathed her name as he thawed. Suddenly, he was running to the ambulance. The medics were about to shut the doors and drive away, but Derek hopped in before they could. "I'm coming with you." He told them. Not a question, but a statement of fact.

She was hurt, and he wasn't going to let her out of his sight.

"Oh Emily," he whispered as he reached for her cold, bruised hand, squeezing it lightly, "What happened to you Emily?" He spoke the question, without expecting an answer. She was out again, and the medics were working in a frenzy all around them, but he just kept ahold of her hand, and silently prayed that she would be ok.

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted to get this up as soon as possible. I will try to add more very soon. Thanks for all of your continued support. :)**


	4. Chapter 4 Telling the Team (Part 1)

**Chapter 4 – Telling the Team (Part 1)**

"Oh Emily," he whispered as he reached for her cold, bruised hand, squeezing it lightly, "What happened to you Emily?" He spoke the question, without expecting an answer. She was out again, and the medics were working in a frenzy all around them, but he just kept ahold of her hand, and silently prayed that she would be ok.

 **10 Minutes Later…**

Morgan was running alongside the gurney as the medics rushed Emily into the emergency room. One had climbed atop her limp form and was currently performing CPR, desperately trying to resuscitate her. He had a firm grip on her hand and was squeezing it tightly in his. "Come on Em," he pleaded with her, knowing full well she could not hear him, "Come back to me!"

Suddenly strong hands grabbed his shoulders, stopping him from following Emily any further into the hospital. He tried to shrug them off and keep going, but the nurse just held her ground, and said, "Sir, you can't be back here."

"Damn it, that's my partner in there!" he yelled, trying again to move around her. He knew it wasn't her fault, none of this was, but Emily was hurt, and he needed to take his anger out on someone. This nurse was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Let me through!"

"Sir, please calm down. You need to let the doctors work," she replied patiently. He was far from the first panicked friend or family member to take their frustrations out on one of the staff, and she wasn't ruffled in the slightest.

"But," he began to protest again, but was cut off by a second nurse who had joined the first, blocking his path.

"Sir, take a seat please. As soon as the doctors have any news they will come to you, alright?" the second nurse persuaded, doing her best to calm him down.

"Fine," he snapped back angrily, putting his hands up in a sign of defeat before retreating to the waiting room.

He did not sit down however, and immediately began pacing the room. His hands were shaking with a mixture of fury and terror. He wanted to kill whoever had hurt Em, but he was also so scared that she might not make it, that he couldn't think straight.

What was he supposed to do? She was hurt, possibly dead or dying, and there was absolutely nothing he could do…

What the hell had happened to her?

That was when he heard the only words that could give him any hope in that moment, floating through the halls, all the way to the waiting room.

"I've got a pulse!"

 **6 Months Earlier…**

Emily pulled her phone out in the elevator of the FBI, and typed in Hunter's number, saving it in her contacts under 'Hot Stuff', smiling like a kid on Christmas morning as she slid her phone back into her pocket. The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding and she stepped out. Where this morning she had been dreading coming into work, she was now beaming, excited. Her little surprise encounter at the café had really put her in a great frame of mind.

"Morning Princess," Derek called from his desk as she strode in, coffee in hand, "Don't you look pleased with yourself?" He couldn't help wondering what had her so happy this early in the morning. Had she met someone? He pushed that thought away, unwilling to consider it further.

"It's been a good morning," she replied cryptically.

Now he was really curious, but he decided not to push his luck. He wanted the good mood to last after all. "You went to get real coffee, and didn't bring me any?" he joked, changing the subject, "I'm hurt…"

Normally she would have rolled her eyes and supplied a witty retort, but this morning she just looked down at her coffee, and blushed, her smile spreading even wider across her face. "Yeah…" was all she gave him in reply before laughing quietly and taking her seat.

Damn, now he was really curious. Something had clearly happened…

"Do I smell real coffee?" JJ's voice reached them from the catwalk, sounding almost dreamy. Her reaction to Emily's coffee was absolutely adorable, and further proof that the BAU needed a new coffee selection.

"Our Princess here had a hot coffee date this morning," Morgan teased, not knowing he was absolutely right, "And she won't tell me about it."

JJ needed no more coaxing. She was suddenly in the bullpen, right between their desks, eyeing Emily suspiciously. "Oh really?" she inquired, teasing, but also genuinely curious, "Do share…"

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about," came Emily's unconvincing denial. Her face was practically splitting open with her uncontrollable smile, and her face and chest had gone absolutely crimson. But before, either of the profilers could interrogate their friend any further on the subject, Hotch called them all to attention with his clear, "Briefing in five. We've got a case."

"You will have to tell me all about this later," JJ added quietly as they all stood and headed up the stairs.

"Never going to happen Jen."

 **Present…**

Derek was stunned for a moment, completely unable to move. A pulse? Was that the same doctor he had heard when he brought Emily in? Was she ok? Damn it! He just wanted to know what was going on back there…

He began pacing again, clenching and unclenching his fists as he did, trying to think about anything other than his partner somewhere back there fighting for her life. Would she need surgery? Why had she stopped breathing? What had happened in the first place? Who had hurt her? He was going to kill them when he found them!

And he was going to find them. No, we would find them, he mentally corrected himself. He knew the whole team would help Emily get through this somehow. Oh Shit, the team…

In his panic, he had completely forgotten to call the team. They needed to know what was going on, or at least as much as he knew about what was going on.

He pulled out his phone, and punched in the number, fully aware that the nurse was glaring at him for using his cell phone in the hospital.

Ring… Ring… Ring…

"Hotchner," the voice on the other said in greeting, sounding very tired.

"I'm sorry Hotch," Derek began, his voice wavering slightly, "I know it's early, but"

"I was already up Morgan," he cut him off, sounding mildly irritated, "What do you need?"

"Um…Hotch, it's Emily."

"What about her?" his irritation was quickly turning to worry, "Are you both alright?"

"No, no Hotch, she is not alright," he took a steady breath and then got the rest out as quickly as he could, "When I went to leave my place this morning, she was unconscious on my front steps. I don't know what happened, but she is hurt really bad. There was so much blood, and she was so cold. She must have been out there all night. I called an ambulance and they brought her here, um to the hospital."

He could hear Hotch, heading toward his car, and the distinct sound of an engine starting as he started firing off his questions, "What is her condition now? What did the doctors say? Have you called the rest of the team?"

"I don't know. Hotch, her heart stopped on the way here. I think they were able to restart it, but she was in really bad shape. I really don't know if she is going to pull through. And uh, no, I called you first."

"I'm on my way. Call the rest of the team. I will be there in twenty minutes." And he hung up before Morgan could reply.

He began flipping through his contacts looking for Dave's number. Unlike his Unit Chief's, this number he didn't have memorized. But he knew Rossi needed to know about Emily right away. He lived the farthest from the hospital so he would need the extra time to get here, and, more importantly, he was the closest thing to a father that Em had. He needed to be here.

Ring… Ring…

"Rossi."

"Rossi, it's Derek. Something hap- "he was cut off by the man's wave of irritation.

"This had better be important Derek. You know damn well that today is my first day off in months. What could possibly warrant waking me up today of all – "

"Emily is in the hospital!" He blurted out, trying to end Dave's ramblings.

"What?" Derek could hear sounds in the background that led him to believe the agent was getting out of bed and getting ready to leave the house, "What happened? Is she alright?"

"I don't know anything yet. She's in really bad shape, and the doctors won't tell me anything. Just get down here right away."

"I'm on my way. Twenty minutes." And with that he hung up, and Derek knew he would have to break every speed law in the city to get here in that time. He also knew that he was right to call him before the others. He needed to be here.

Please just let her be ok, he silently pleaded with whoever might be listening. He couldn't lose her…


	5. Chapter 5 Mystery Date

**Chapter 5 – Mystery Date**

 **6 Months Earlier…**

The team was finished with their briefing on the newest case, and everyone spread out to continue quiet conversations, or get some much needed rest before they arrived. It was quiet, and while everyone was otherwise occupied, Emily slipped to the back of the plane to get some more coffee, and make a call.

She pulled out her phone, and opened her contacts, quickly locating the newest addition. "Hot Stuff" scrolled across the top of her screen as she listened to the phone ring, once, twice, three times. And then finally he answered.

"Hello?"

"Hunter?" she asked, keeping her voice quiet so the rest of the team wouldn't hear their conversation.

"Emily? Is that you?" He sounded hopeful, and it instantly brought a little smile to her lips.

"Yeah, hot stuff," she teased, "it's me."

"I wasn't sure if you'd call," he breathed, also staying quiet so those around him wouldn't hear, "but I'm glad you did…"

She laughed lightly, and her smile grew. "So am I."

"So, does this mean you want to go out with me tonight?"

"I wish I could," she began, and could practically hear his sudden disappointment seep through the phone, "but I'm going to be out of town for a few days for work. When I get back, I would love to go out."

"It's going to be a very long couple of days, waiting for you to return," he sounded sincere, "but I thoroughly look forward to it."

"I just didn't want you to think that I wasn't interested if I didn't call you for a few days," she felt she had to explain, even though he never questioned her, "My job, well, I just have to travel a lot."

"That's really alright. And I'm glad you called," he paused for a moment, thinking, "I never asked what it is you do Emily?"

She laughed at this. It was true. They really didn't know anything about each other at all. "I'm an FBI agent," she answered, "Well, a profiler actually. I work with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI in Quantico, and we travel to assist on cases all across the country."

She could hear his smile when he responded, "That's very impressive Em," her heart flipped at the use of the nickname, like they were old friends, "You sound like you love your job."

"Yes, I can't imagine doing anything else with my life. It's hard sometimes, but I know that every day I am making a difference. It's kind of amazing."

Just then, she heard someone walking her way, and quickly ended the call so no one would hear her, "I have to go Hunter. I promise I will call you when I get back to DC."

"I'll hold you to that Emily," he vowed, "Goodbye, for now." And the line ended. Only later did she realize that he never told her what he did for a living.

Emily quickly stashed the phone back in her pocket, but not before JJ saw it. She had come to the back of the plane to get some coffee, and had overheard the tail end of their conversation, and witnessed her friend trying to hide the phone from her. She knew that something was up, but the wide grin firmly planted on Emily's face said it wasn't anything bad, so she decided not to push it for the moment. She did however, make a mental note to ask her about it later.

If there was a new man in Emily's life, she wanted to hear all about it…

 **Present…**

As soon as he hung up with Dave, Derek dialed JJ's number. She was Emily's best friend, and she also held her POA so she needed to be here when the doctors came out. She was the only one who was technically listed as next of kin and if she wasn't here, the doctors probably wouldn't tell him what was going on, and he needed to know what was going on…

Ring…Ring…Ring…Ring…

Come on JJ, pick up the phone…

Ring…Ring…Ring…

"Hello?"

"Oh thank God."

"Morgan?"

"Yeah, JJ, it's me. You need to get to the hospital right away."

"What? The hospital? Are you ok? What happened?" She sounded so worried.

"It's not me. It's Emily. Something happened. She's hurt."

"What do you mean, something happened? Is she alright?"

"Just get here. I don't really know what's going on, and you are going to have to talk to the doctors when you get here."

"Alright, I'm on my way. I should be there in fifteen minutes ok?"

"JJ, just hurry."

He realized that he hadn't really told her anything about Emily's condition, or about how he'd found her. He would have to explain to her when she got here. But what did he know really? She was hurt, somehow, by someone. And she had somehow ended up on his front steps in the middle of the night. That wasn't much to go on. He needed answers just as much as everyone else…

Ok, focus, he commanded himself. Get the team here. Find out what happened to Emily. Catch the bastard who did this to her, and kick his ass. In that order.

He took a deep breath, centering himself, and dialed the next number on his list.

Ring…Ring…

"Dr. Reid."

"Pretty Boy, it's Derek."

"Derek? What's going on? I'm on my way to the BAU now. Did we get a new case already? I was really looking forward to an easy day of paperwork…"

"Reid, listen to me, I need you to turn around. Don't go into work. Get to the hospital."

"What? The hospital? Why? Is the case local? Who's the victim?" He was rattling off his questions so fast, Derek couldn't get a word in to explain, and finally just cut him off.

"Emily is hurt. That's all we know right now. Just get here." And he hung up before Reid could even respond.

He knew that he had been short with the young agent, and that he shouldn't have hung up, but the whole situation was starting to wear him down. He didn't know if his partner was alive or dead, and he was alone in this damned waiting room, unable to do anything to help her. He didn't want to talk about what happened, because he had no idea what happened. He just wanted his team around him. He wanted someone to tell him what the hell was going on.

He wanted someone to tell him that she was going to be ok…

 **6 Months Earlier…**

The team walked into the BAU bullpen together. The last case had only taken two days, and they were home. They were all exhausted, but it had not been nearly as hard as the last few cases, and it was only seven in the evening so they all had decided to return to the office to finish their paperwork before heading home.

As everyone made their way to their desks, go bags, and files in hand, Emily's phone started to buzz in her pocket. It was a text from Hunter, and a hint of a smile tugged at her lips as she read it.

'You make it home safe? Still on for dinner tonight?'

She quickly typed her reply, 'Yeah, just finishing some work real quick. Pick me up at eight?', and smiled when his answer came just as quickly, 'Sounds good. See you soon hun.'

The term of endearment was new, and it had her really smiling, despite her efforts to hide her reaction. She didn't want to have to explain anything to the team, and she knew they would notice that something was up, but she couldn't help it. He called her hun…

Thirty minutes later, she was finished with her paperwork, and started to grab her things to leave, but Morgan's voice made her turn.

"Where you headed off to in such a hurry Princess?" he asked, half teasing, half truly curious. He had never seen her plow through her paperwork so fast, and now, as she gathered her things to leave, she looked like a woman on a mission.

"I'm finished with my work for the evening," she responded, avoiding the question. He noticed the dodge and became infinitely more curious. Where was she going? And why didn't she want him to know about it?

Reid had been listening to their short exchange from his desk, and also noticed her non-answer, becoming interested. He swiveled his chair around to look at her questioningly, and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"You got a hot date Prentiss?" Morgan continued to tease her, secretly hoping that wasn't the case at all.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she again avoided the question, and turned to leave. But she didn't make it two steps before JJ's voice reached her from the catwalk.

"Going to go see secret phone call guy?" she asked, clearly eluding to Hunter's call on the jet two days earlier, a phone call Emily had not realized had been overheard.

Emily blushed slightly, but didn't respond, and JJ took that as a confirmation. Morgan, however, was very confused. "Phone call guy?" he asked, looking at JJ, before turning back to Emily, "Do you have a new boyfriend we don't know about?" He really hoped that wasn't the case…

"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about," she responded with mock innocence, again not answering their questions. Which immediately told the profilers that she most certainly did have a date tonight. But with who?

"Come on Em, tell us," JJ pleaded, but it was no use. Emily had turned on her heels and was entering the elevator, waving goodbye as she did, not giving any indication as to where she was going or with whom. She turned to Morgan and was about to ask him if he knew anything about the mystery man in their friend's life, but thought better of it when she heard someone coming.

That was when Garcia, Rossi, and Hotchner came into the bullpen, chatting amongst themselves.

"Guys guys guys!" Penelope called excitedly as she ran up to the other three team members, now all gathered around Morgan's desk, "Rossi has invited us all out for drinks…" she paused, both to catch her breath and to put emphasis on the last bit of news, "and he's buying!" She was smiling, clearly excited for a night out with the team. The profilers often spent their evenings together while away on a case, but because Garcia was here in DC, she often missed out on those memories and was thrilled to be able to go out with them tonight.

Hotch and Rossi caught up with her then and Dave confirmed her news, "It's been too long since we've been able to do something with the whole team, and after so many cases in a row, I figured we all deserved the break. So, are you in?"

Morgan answered immediately, "Of course man. If you're buying, I'll never say no." He was laughing as he stood, grabbed his coat, and clapped Dave on the shoulder.

JJ and Spencer both nodded their agreement and made similar moves to leave.

Up until that moment, the new comers had not realized that one of theirs was missing from the group. Hotch looked at each of them, mentally counting, "Where's Emily?" he asked. Had she stepped out for a moment? Or had she already gone home for the night? That wasn't like her…

Garcia seemed to only realize as he said that words that she was missing, and suddenly looked quite upset. "Yeah, where's my gumdrop?" she asked, pouting.

"Our Emily finished her paperwork in record time, and left in quite a hurry," JJ explained, smiling, "It appears she had met some mysterious new suitor, and he is taking her out tonight."

"Em's got a hot date? And she didn't tell me?" Penelope feigned annoyance, but was truthfully very excited at the news, and knew there would be juicy gossip about it soon enough.

"She didn't tell anyone," Reid replied, "In fact, she wouldn't even confirm that she had a date at all, much less tell us where, when, or with whom. She was being very…"

"Mysterious," Garcia supplied, which got a laugh out of Rossi.

"I was going to say vague," Reid informed her, "but I suppose that is also an appropriate description of her behavior the last few days."

Now everyone was laughing, except Morgan, who looked decidedly uncomfortable at the thought of Emily on a date with anyone but himself. He looked like he was going to be sick, but everyone else ignored this, not wanting to fight with him about the obvious feelings he harbored for his partner. Reid had tried that before and it never ended well, so they just let it go.

"Her loss," Hotch cut in as everyone started making their way to the elevators, "She is going to miss team night out. I hope he's worth it."

If any of them had known then just how bad things were going to become, they would have run after her that night, but they didn't know. They couldn't see the dark path her life was about to head down, and they wouldn't realize their mistake for months to come. What if it was too late?


	6. Ch 6 Beginning of Something Beautiful

**Chapter 6 – The Beginning of Something Beautiful**

 **Present…**

Derek had finally stopped pacing for a moment. He was sitting in one of the waiting room chairs, his head in his hands, trying not to cry. It was all just too much. Emily hurt. Waiting for news. Calling the team. It was all just too much. He could barely breathe. He knew he had one more team member to call, but he couldn't bring himself to pick up the phone.

Penelope Garcia, the little ray of sunshine that she always was, would be devastated by the news. He had purposefully waited to call her last in a desperate hope that he would have some answers to give her before making the call. But here he was, still just as frustrated and confused as ever, and he didn't know what he was supposed to tell her.

Just pick up the phone Derek, he coached himself. Get it over with.

He punched in the number and slowly raised the phone to his ear, secretly hoping she wouldn't answer.

Ring… Ring… Ring… Ring…

"Speak and be heard Chocolate Thunder," she answered enthusiastically, "What can I do for you this morning?"

"Baby Girl," he began, his fear and sadness seeping into his voice, "Something's happened."

All of her bubbly energy was gone in an instant, replaced by pure terror. What had her Super Special Agent sounding so afraid? "Derek? What's going on?"

"It's Emily," he started choking up before he could continue any further, and she immediately assumed the worst.

"No no no no no," she started panicking, "She's not! She can't be!"

"Wooo, slow down Garcia," he cut in, realizing what she must have thought, "She is hurt. It's bad, but I got her to the hospital. The doctors are with her now."

"So she's still…I mean she's not…Derek, is she ok?" Her words came out in a jumbled rush, and he could tell she was already starting to cry.

"I don't know Baby Girl. It's bad. Just get down here ok?"

"Alright. I'm on my way. Please call me if you find anything out before I get there." And she hung up.

Derek really hoped that she would recover some of her happy optimistic spark before she got here though. He would need that if he was going to make it through the day. The whole team would.

He took a steadying breath, and looked down at his phone. The team knew what was going on, and that was good, but there was one more phone call he needed to make, and it wasn't going to be any easier than the one he had just placed.

It was time to call Hunter…

 **6 Months Earlier…**

JJ and Rossi had gone up to the bar to get another round for the team, who were all sitting in the corner booth, laughing at something Garcia had said. They needed this night out. They deserved this little moment of normalcy, of happiness and friendship. The last few months had been too hard, on all of them, and they needed this. JJ smiled to herself, watching her team, her family. They really truly looked happy, and she was thrilled to see it.

But then she remembered that one of them wasn't there. Emily.

Was she ok? Was she really on a date, or had she just let them assume that? Who was this mystery man? Did he make her happy, like the rest of the team was right now? Was she still getting her moment of normalcy in the months of chaos, or was she missing it? What if she wasn't on a date at all? What if something was wrong?

"I can hear you thinking from over here," Dave said, drawing her out of her ponderings, "What's going on up there?" he asked as he tapped his finger against her temple lightly.

"Emily," was all she gave him in reply. And it was all he needed. He had all the same questions flitting through his mind since they walked into the bar. She was like a daughter to him, and the idea of her out there somewhere, with someone they didn't know or trust, doing God knows what… It had him unsettled.

If there really was some new man in her life, Dave knew he could be a totally normal, wonderful guy, but he could also be a monster. And in their line of work, they tended to assume that everyone was the latter. Trust was a foreign concept, and even though he knew it was irrational, his fatherly instincts were kicking into overdrive. He was worried about her, even if rationally he knew he probably didn't need to be.

"I know," he replied, "me too."

"Six beers," the bartender's voice cut off JJ's reply as he pushed their drinks in front of them.

They each grabbed three and made their way back to the booth, trying to put their concerns aside for the moment, and just enjoy their evening out.

 **Across Town…**

Hunter arrived at her place at eight o'clock sharp. Punctual, Emily noticed. She liked that. He didn't honk, or try to invite himself inside. He simply stepped out of the car, a shiny, black Ford Mustang convertible, and leaned against the passenger door, patiently waiting for her as she made her way to him.

They drove in a comfortable silence, filled with a few easy comments about their days. It didn't feel forced, and Emily didn't feel like she was on the other side of an interrogation table, which was a nice change from her usual dating experience.

When they arrived, the valet reached for the passenger side door, but before he could grasp the handle, Hunter was there, opening it himself. He reached out his hand and helped Emily out of the car. Maybe chivalry isn't dead after all, Emily noted, smiling at the gesture.

He led them inside the restaurant, and she couldn't help but think tonight was going to be the beginning of something beautiful…


	7. AN

**THIS IS NOT A NEW CHAPTER... But there will be one very soon... :)**

 **A/N: I am so sorry everyone for the long wait on updates across all of my stories. I have been dealing with a tremendous amount of personal struggles over the last several months, and I know it's no excuse for neglecting all of my wonderful readers, but I am sorry all the same. I just wanted to let you know that I have not abandoned my stories, and I am working on updates as we speak, so the long wait is almost over. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my stories in the last few months, and thank you to everyone who is still reading my work despite the long wait.**


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